The governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed has warned traditional rulers as well state and local government officials to desist from land-use abuse and illegal allocation.
Mohammed gave the warning on Thursday evening while inaugurating a 48-member committee to implement the government White Paper on the report of administrative committee on land disputes between herders and farmers caused by land use abuse and illegal allocation in local government areas of the state.
The warning, Mohammed said, is imperative as the administrative committee’s report established the fact that clashes between herders and farmers were as a result of activities of some traditional rulers, state and local government officials.
The committee, he said, is expected to complete its assignment within three weeks.
“The committee is to identify those responsible for the abuse/illegal land allocation in Local Government Areas and recommend appropriate penalties for the culprits and report any matter incidental to the assignment.
“The committee will be chaired by rtd DIG Sani Mohammed while the chief administrative officer government house to serve is assistant secretary.
“The appointment of the committee is a testimony of the sincerity of government toward sanitizing the inherent rackets in land use and allocation,” he said.
He said the Land use Act vested allocation and use of land on the state governor.
”We must observe strictly the provision of the Land use Act as nobody is above the Law,” he warned.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that in 2021, herders and farmers clash claimed the lives of nine people in Zadawa district in Misau LGA which led to the eventual suspension of emir of Misau Ahmed Suleiman.
